12-5-1 Youth Protection

LEGAL AUTHORITY: South Carolina Code Ann. §63-7-10

BASED ON POLICY NUMBER AND TITLE: 12-5-0 Youth Protection

PURPOSE

To implement Trident Technical College (TTC) Policy 12-5-0 by providing a procedure and handbook that outlines youth protection measures, training, employee/volunteer screening and reporting processes. Specific procedures and requirements are detailed in the TTC Youth Protection Handbook.

 PREVENTION STATEMENT

College employees and volunteers shall not engage in sexually oriented activities or sexual conversation with children, nor allow such conduct or conversation to exist between the children themselves.

College employees and volunteers shall not engage in erotic activities for which the true intended result is sexual arousal and/or gratification.

Child sexual abuse, molestation, and misconduct are crimes, and as a mandated reporter, any person associated with the College who fails to report such activity will be discharged, reported to the proper authorities, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

DEFINITIONS

Child and youth: Anyone under the age of 18.

Youth Activity: A TTC-sponsored or hosted event, series of events, on or off campus that will include participants under the age of 18 and whom TTC employees are responsible for supervising.

Youth Activity Coordinator (YAC): A TTC employee who is in charge of preparing and/or conducting a TTC-sponsored youth activity.

 Volunteer: Any person participating in a college-sanctioned activity who is not an employee of the college.

Child sexual abuse: Involves any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given. This includes sexual contact that is accomplished by force or threat of force, regardless of the age of the participants, and all sexual contact between an adult and a child, regardless of whether there is deception or the child understands the sexual nature of the activity. Sexual contact between an older and a younger child also can be abusive if there is a significant disparity in age, development, or size, rendering the younger child incapable of giving informed consent. The sexually abusive acts may include sexual penetration, sexual touching, or non-contact sexual acts such as exposure or voyeurism.

 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

 President: Ensure procedures and policies are in place for safeguarding children who are participating in TTC-sponsored youth activities.

 Vice-Presidents: Review and approve all TTC-sponsored youth activity requests conducted within their divisions.

Public Safety: Investigate all reports of suspected child abuse or neglect and notify the appropriate law enforcement agency, SC State Law Enforcement Division, and Child Protection Services. Assist Youth Activity Coordinators in developing appropriate rules, parameters, monitoring guidelines, etc. for all youth activities.

 Risk Manager:  Archive each youth activity request for at least one year from the event’s completion date. Records will be purged at the end of the next full fiscal year following the event’s completion date.

Youth Activity Coordinator: Ensure compliance with all procedures concerning the hosting or sponsoring of a TTC youth activity. Ensure that employees/volunteers are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Ensure that all participating employees and volunteers are screened and trained prior to the event. Take all measures to prevent and recognize inappropriate behaviors. Ensure that employees and volunteers promote positive behaviors, confront inappropriate or harmful behaviors, and report these behaviors if necessary. Immediately report any suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Public Safety.

Human Resources: Provide initial training and conduct a criminal background check on, all employees and volunteers participating in TTC-sponsored youth activities.

 SCREENING EMPLOYEES/VOLUNTEERS

Youth Activity Coordinators must ensure that all employees and volunteers participating in a youth activity have been subject to criminal background and sex offender registry checks within at least the last year. Specific details concerning the screening of employees and volunteers are described in the Youth Protection Handbook.

 RESPONSE & REPORTING

All members of the College community share the responsibility of preventing child sexual abuse.

An individual who believes that a child is in immediate danger must take steps to remove the child from that situation and notify Public Safety immediately. It is not the role of an employee/volunteer to evaluate or investigate an allegation or suspicion.

Employees/volunteers must report suspicions of child sexual abuse to Public Safety. If evidence of child sexual abuse has surfaced or an allegation has been made, a formal report must be made to Public Safety. Public Safety will determine the appropriate authorities to be contacted for all abuse cases.

Additional procedures are detailed in the Youth Protection Handbook.

YOUTH PROTECTION HANDBOOK

 The following items are detailed in the Youth Protection Handbook:

• Screening of employees and volunteers
• Interaction guidelines and precautions
• Appropriate and inappropriate behavior
• TTC special events
• Caregiver information
• Response and reporting procedures
• Training of employees and volunteers
• Accountability and sanctions
• Event approval process
• Applicable forms

 

Updated: 08-14-2018